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Welcome Note
Dear Delegates,
We are delighted that you are a part of the African Union. Kaushal and I have been
blessed with the great responsibility of chairing this committee at the prestigious NTU
Model United Nations 2015.
We look forward to three wonderful days of productive debate, negotiations and viable
solutions. Precise and practical points will be highly appreciated. Detailed paperwork
is a must for discussion to snowball into action.
We hope that the Study Guides, through which we have tried to offer a concise and
focused account of the major aspects of each issue, serve as an effective research
resource for you. We hope that you do, and you should, extend yourself beyond them
so that you are not only well-informed about the issues themselves but also about the
perspective you will be putting forward based on your countrys stance.
Divya and Kaushal

Introduction to the Committee

The African Union

History of the Committee

The African Union is the successor organization to the Organization of African Unity (OAU).
On 9.9.1999, the Heads of State and Government of the Organisation of African
Unity issued a Declaration (the Sirte Declaration) calling for the establishment of an
African Union, with a view, inter alia, to accelerating the process of integration in the
continent
to enable it play its rightful role in the global economy while
addressing multifaceted social, economic and political problems compounded as
they are by certain negative aspects of globalisation.
The main objectives of the OAU were, inter alia, to rid the continent of the remaining
vestiges of colonization and apartheid; to promote unity and solidarity among African
States; to coordinate and intensify cooperation for development; to safeguard the
sovereignty and territorial integrity of Member States and to promote international
cooperation within the framework of the United Nations.
Mandate of the Committee
During the fourth Extraordinary Session of the Organisation of African Unity Assembly
of African Heads of State and Government held at Sirte, Libya, the African Heads of
State and Government agreed to the establishment of an African Union, with a view,
inter alia, to accelerating the process of integration in the continent and to enable it
play its rightful role in the global economy. This came out of a growing sense of a
need for an organisation better aligned with the needs of the rapidly-evolving twentyfirst century to guide the development of the African continent, one which is relevant
to the needs of our peoples and responsive to the demands of the prevailing
circumstances (Sirte Declaration).
The activities of the African Union are guided by its Constitutive Act agreed to by the
Heads of State and Government of the Member States of the Organization of African
Unity on 11 July 2000. Article 3 Objectives and Article 4 Principles of the
Constitutive Act are provided in Appendix I.

Topic One: Containment and Eradication of Ebola

a. Statement of Problem
Ring-a-ring o' roses,
A pocket full of posies,
A-tishoo! A-tishoo!
We all fall down.

This well-known English nursery rhyme is sung innocently by millions of children

around the world. Under the innocuous lyrics, however, lies a much darker association
to the Great Plague which killed an estimated sixth of Londons population in 1665. In
the first few months of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak, the view held by most
of the Western world towards the disease could be compared to the view held by
young children today towards this quatrain. Now, the Ebola epidemic has not only
been covered thousands of times by news channels but has also claimed thousands
of lives. Concerted international action to undo the effects of the initially delayed
response and help the affected countries overcome limited supplies and largely
uneducated populations will be a critical. The outbreak is everyones responsibility;
otherwise, we may indeed all fall down.

b. History and Discussion of Problem

The first cases of EVD were reported in 1976 simultaneously in Sudan and DR Congo.
A second epidemic occurred in 1994 -- the first in West Africa -- and outbreaks have
occurred with increased frequency ever since. The map below shows the number of
cases in all outbreaks of Ebola virus disease (and the related Marburg virus disease)
up to and including 2012:

Source: GOV.UK; data from WHO

Just two years before the current epidemic, there were three outbreaks in Central and
East Africa -- one in DR Congo and two in Uganda. However, the outbreak which
started in December 2013 has been the most widespread so far and has seen more
cases and claimed more lives than all of the previous ones put together.
The first case of EVD in the current outbreak has been traced to a 2-year-old Guinean
boy who died after experiencing symptoms. It has been suggested that the infant
contracted the disease from a fruit bat. The New York Times has a vivid description of
its initial spread since then:
A week later, it killed the boys mother, then his 3-year-old sister, then his
grandmother. All had fever, vomiting and diarrhea, but no one knew what had
sickened them.
Two mourners at the grandmothers funeral took the virus home to their village. A
health worker carried it to still another, where he died, as did his doctor. They both
infected relatives from other towns. By the time Ebola was recognized, in March,
dozens of people had died in eight Guinean communities, and suspected cases were
popping up in Liberia and Sierra Leone three of the worlds poorest countries,
recovering from years of political dysfunction and civil war.

The Ebola virus was carried by land from Guinea to Sierra Leone and Liberia. One
person also flew the virus to Nigeria, and another took it by land to Senegal. The weak
health care systems in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia and their inability to cope
with the rapidly spreading disease led to the WHO declaring the outbreak a Public
Health Emergency of International Concern on 8 August. There was also a second
but unconnected outbreak in rural DR Congo in August and there have been cases in
Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, Spain and the US.
Some months after the start of the epidemic, Guinea closed its borders with Sierra
Leone and Liberia to halt the virus spread. It has been argued that modernisation in
Africa is responsible for having made this latest outbreak so much larger than previous
ones. The virus was transmitted to neighbouring countries and populations due to the
frequent travel made possible by good roads (especially those at border crossings) of
those initially infected.
c. Current Situation and Present Relevance
As of 10 December 2014, there have been 17942 reported cases of EVD and 6388
reported fatalities. The WHO considers these reported figures to be significant
underestimates. Recent news reports suggests that case incidence is still on the rise
in Guinea and Sierra Leone, but Mdecins Sans Frontires has reported a significant
reduction in cases in Liberia. Indeed, only a third of the beds in Liberian Ebola
treatment centres are occupied, but some caution against coming to hasty conclusions
based on this figures as Ebola has earlier shown signs of retreat only to rage back
with ferocity (Empty Ebola Beds). Since 5 September, there have been no new
cases in Nigeria and Senegal, and the few cases outside West Africa are now under
control. The chart below shows the number of cases and fatalities in all countries:

Source: WHO Situation report (10 Dec)

WHOs summary of current knowledge on the transmission, symptoms and diagnosis
of EVD is provided in Appendix II. Ebolas average fatality rate is put at around 50%,
though other estimates call this an overly conservative figure. So far, no vaccine has
undergone trials and gained widespread approval for use.
d. Past UN Actions
The UN has set up a mission dedicated to managing the outbreak named the UN
Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) and headed by Anthony Banbury.
The Missions aim is to unify all UN agencies involved in tackling the outbreak in order
to ensure a rapid, effective, efficient and coherent response to the crisis. UNMEER
also aims to work closely with WHO, the African Union, UN member states etc. in
realising its aims. Teams from UNMEER have been sent to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra
Leone to start treatment, infection control and critical service preservation
programmes.
On 28 August 2014, WHO issued a 27-page Ebola Response Roadmap to steer and
synchronise international efforts to control the outbreak of EVD. Its chief target is to
end the transmission of Ebola before February-March 2015 and undo wider socioeconomic damages caused by the outbreak. Informed by the experience of WHO in
managing EVD outbreaks spanning nearly 40 years, it was also based on the
information of WHO partners such as health officials in the affected regions, the
African Union, development banks, UN agencies, Mdecins Sans Frontires and
nations providing aid to the affected countries.
Nevertheless, as the document itself acknowledges, this epidemic is unprecedented
in that it is the first to be concentrated in an urban, modern setting, which has led to a
much more rapid level of transmission within the concerned populations. The roadmap
considers infection control training to be the area that needs to be addressed most
urgently.
However, WHO has faced widespread criticism for mishandling the Ebola crisis. In
fact, the NGO Mdecins Sans Frontires was first to call for action in March 2014
whilst WHO tried to make the issue seem less pressing. WHOs excessively
bureaucratic organisation and mismanagement of funds, especially since the
recession after which voluntary donations have fallen drastically, have been blamed

for the delay in mobilising sufficient resources to tackle the outbreak as well as the
lack of coordination. Insufficient health workers with sub-par training in West Africa
means that a greater worldwide programme (which should be led by WHO) is
indispensable in controlling the outbreak, but MSF has called the international
response to Ebola lethally inadequate and condemned the coalition of inaction that
has caused the outbreak to grow to its current size. The US Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) has also blamed WHO for refusing help from the CDC
and other organisations that may have arrested the spread of the virus earlier.

e. Major Stakeholders and Their Positions

WHO has called for mobilising all accessible resources to put in place effective
facilities and mechanisms for controlling EVD such as:
Ebola treatment centres with proper infection prevention and control
procedures
Other necessary healthcare facilities such as Ebola referral centres
Surveillance systems such as contact tracing and safe burials (led by expert
burial teams donning proper protective equipment) to reduce further spread
Increased community awareness and participation (which has been identified
as a key area in combatting the outbreak), for instance in contact tracing,
postponing mass gatherings and accepting treatment for Ebola
Prevention of the spread of EVD through travel by screening passengers
leaving international airports, seaports and major land border crossings and
stopping the movement of Ebola cases or contacts (except for medical
purposes)
Maintenance of critical services in affected regions such as the supply of food
and water, proper sanitation, education, protection etc. through collaboration
between governmental service providers, NGOs, UN agencies etc.
The Ebola Response Roadmap also calls for the immediate application of such
measures in the most affected nations. Strengthening of the ability of all countries,
particularly those bordering the regions with high levels of transmission, in responding
to the outbreak through public awareness and ready Ebola control facilities is also
stressed.
WHO Director-General Margaret Chan met the presidents of Guinea, Liberia, Sierra
Leone and Ivory Coast in Guinean capital Conakry in August, calling for urgent action
and saying: This outbreak is moving faster than our efforts to control it. If the situation
continues to deteriorate, the consequences can be catastrophic in terms of lost lives
but also severe socioeconomic disruption and a high risk of spread to other countries.
This meeting must mark a turning point in the outbreak response.
She has further pinpointed the cause of such widespread transmission of the virus as
being traditional practices and deeply-entrenched beliefs in the affected communities.
Traditional burial rituals include touching and washing the body, which can infect those
performing the rites. Isolation wards are also seen as inevitably leading to death, so
families keep those experiencing symptoms at home. There is also a tendency to
engage traditional healers, only accelerating the spread of the virus. In November, the

Guinean government blamed a group of villagers for killing eight members of an Ebola
awareness team working in the region.

A Liberian woman kneels before her sisters corpse being carried away by Ebola workers in
full protective clothing for cremation
Source: Getty Images

These excerpts from the testimony of one Guinean survivor powerfully capture the
experience of Ebola patients and victims:
The symptoms started with headaches, diarrhoea, pains in my back and vomiting. I
felt really depressed - I had heard about Ebola so when the doctors told me, I was
very scared. I tried to be positive - I was thinking about death, but deep inside I
thought my time had not come yet and I would get over it. That's how I overcame the
pain and the fear.
A short while after I was admitted to the hospital for treatment I started feeling better,
step by step.
It was a great feeling when I walked out of the hospital.
I prefer not be identified in the media - many people are aware that I had the disease
but many others are not. We have been through difficult times - people were afraid of
us. Immediately the other person takes two or three steps back for fear of contracting
the virus.
Nine people in my family had the virus in total. My wife and my cousin survived too,
so it is the three of us out of nine.

The outbreak has had an impact on even more people than the affected communities.
The Time magazine selected Ebola fighters to be the 2014 Person of the Year as

of December 2014, more than 300 of the 600 doctors and nurses who have been
infected whilst fighting Ebola have died. However, there has been dissatisfaction
amongst these medical workers due to issues over payment for their hazardous work,
as evidenced by strikes in Liberia and Sierra Leone in October and November.

Workers protesting against unpaid hazard bonuses leave corpses in the street outside the
hospital
Source: AFP

Authorities in Sierra Leone have implemented measures to overcome some of the

obstacles outlined by Margaret Chan, for instance conducting house searches to
quarantine suspected Ebola cases and limiting movement in the worst-hit areas.
Screening of international travellers has also been implemented in Sierra Leone as
well as in Guinea and Liberia. This has palpably been a success -- one study shows
that screening in West Africa prevents three Ebola cases from leaving the region and
spreading the virus to other parts of the world every month. However, the local health
ministries in these countries have also been accused of being slow to recognise and
address the issue.

f. Proposed Solutions
Issues to address include:
Deficit in health workers in West Africa and the need to mobilise more workers
worldwide
Education of affected communities -- abolishing practices that contribute to the
spread of the virus (e.g. traditional burials) and encouraging those who have
contracted the virus to seek appropriate treatment
Reform of WHO to allow it to respond faster and with more urgency to
international infectious disease outbreaks a long-term consideration
g. Questions a resolution must answer

How is the deficit in health workers in West Africa to be resolved given that
doctors and nurses in other countries cannot be forced to volunteer in the
unsafe region?
How is the remuneration of health workers to be arranged?
How are deep-seated traditional beliefs and practices that lead to the spread of
Ebola and hinder the work of doctors and nurses to be overcome?

h. Suggestions for further research

Delegates may wish to have a first-hand look at WHO, UN (and UNMEER), Mdecins
Sans Frontires (and other NGO) websites and reports.
Many international newspapers, such as those included in the bibliography, also have
a very large amount of reporting on Ebola. Delegates are reminded to use sources
critically.
Lastly yet importantly, it may also be worthwhile to consider reading African news that
can be found online to gain a local insight into the topic.

Topic Two: Analysing the Role of China in Africa

a. Statement of Problem
China-Africa relations were first established at the Bandung Conference in 1955. It
progressed over the years and by the end of the 1970s, 44 out of 50 independent
African nations had entered into diplomatic relations with China. Trade between China
and Africa increased by 700% during the 1990s and China is currently Africa's largest
trading partner. The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was established in
October 2000 to strengthen the relationship. China's march on the continent has been
fast and furious. Last year, China-Africa trade reached $210bn, with more than 2,500
Chinese companies operating on the continent, according to Xinhua, the state-run
news agency.
A paper published in 2013 by China's cabinet titled "China-Africa Economic and Trade
Cooperation" said that by the end of 2012, China had signed bilateral investment
treaties with 32 out of 54 African countries and established joint economic commission
mechanisms with 45. The China-Africa Development Fund, established as one of the
eight pledges China made at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing
Summit, had, by the end of 2012, agreed to invest $2.385bn in 61 projects in 30 African
countries, and had already invested
$1.806bn for 53 projects.
Questions have constantly been
raised about Chinas true motives
behind investment in Africa.
President Barack Obama recently
said that the USA valued Africa for
its people, their talents and
potential, not the natural resources
of the region. We dont simply want
to extract minerals from the ground
for our growth. We want to build
partnerships that create jobs and opportunity for all our peoples, that unleash the next
era of African growth, Although the president did not mention China by name, the
comments were supposedly aimed at Beijing as his administration used the summit to
promote the US as a better partner in its efforts to catch up with the rapidly expanding
Sino-Africa trade.
What is clear, at any rate, is that Chinese people and money have flooded into Africa
in the past decade. What is tantalizingly unclear is whether the Chinese economic
onslaught is the result of a methodical policy fashioned in Beijing as part of an
imperialist venture to promote Chinese values and dominate the continent as
Europeans did a century ago, or whether it has become a self-generating process fired
up by the Chinese who are simply keen to enrich themselves without the slightest
intention of kowtowing to the authorities back home.
With the USA and China at loggerheads over Africa and the true reason behind
Chinese investments in Africa remaining questionable, it is imperative that the

delegates of this committee discuss and arrive at a suitable conclusion to this issue
which has catapulted into a global crisis.
b. History and Discussion of Problem
For the two decades from the mid-1950s to mid-1970s, China gave about $2.5 billion
to 36 African countries in aid. China also sent ten thousand engineers, doctors and
technicians to provide assistances for African development, and undertook various
infrastructure projects, one of which was the 1860-kilometer long Tanzania-Zambia
railway, financed and built by China, and hailed as a monument of China-Africa
friendship upon its completion. China embarked on economic reforms in 1978. As it
focused on domestic economic development and opened up to the Western world,
Chinas political interest in Africa waned. As a result, China-Africa relations were
largely neglected in most of the 1980s.
The 1990s presented a good opportunity for China to enhance its influence in Africa.
With the end of the Cold War, the Wests interests in Africa had been waning and the
Wests involvements in African countries had been declining. China seized its
opportunity to strengthen the political and economic ties with Africa. This became more
visible when President Jiang Zemin paid a state visit to six African countries and
delivered an address to the Organization of African Unity in 1996. He put forward a
Five Points Proposal for the development of a long-term, more structured
cooperative relationship between
China and African countries. It
eventually led to the creation of the
Forum for China-African Cooperation
(FOCAC as mentioned above) in
Beijing in 2000.
Chinas growing presence in Africa is
in question. Critics say that the
Chinese strategy is entirely selfpromotional, aimed at maintaining
access to Africas precious mineral resources even when that means propping up
odious governments. Chinas supporters say the Asian superpower is strictly neutral
and business-oriented, preferring to generate economic growth not a dangerous
dependency on aid. China has certainly been contributing to Africas economic growth,
both in terms of trade and with building infrastructure. All over the continent, it has built
roads, railways, ports, airports, and more, filling a critical gap that western donors have
been shy to provide and unblocking major bottlenecks to growth. The rehabilitated
840-mile Benguela railway line, for example, now connects Angolas Atlantic coast
with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia. And Chinese-financed roads
have cut journey times from Ethiopias hinterland to the strategic port of Djibouti,
facilitating livestock exports.
However, around 90 percent of Sino-African trade is still based on natural resources
oil, ores, and minerals. Exports of natural resources by themselves do not help Africa
to develop as we can see from the examples of Nigeria and Angola, Sub-Saharan
Africas two largest oil exporters. Oil and mining are not labor intensive industries. So
while natural resources may create impressive headline growth figures, they do not

necessarily translate into widespread job creation. Large oil and mineral reserves can
distort the local currency, pushing up prices of other exports, such as agricultural
products, and making them much harder to sell overseas. Often oil and mineral
revenues have often fuelled corruption which has a severely negative impact on a
countrys development. Its notable, for example, that China is not yet one of the
supporting countries for the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), an
initiative to promote transparency and accountability in the governance of natural
resources.
Away from the oil and mining industries, critics of China say they dont see much
evidence of China advocating for Africa on global issues either. Climate change and
better access to overseas markets are two such issues. But at the Africa Progress
Panel we see little evidence of China pushing hard for improved market access for
African products in non-African markets. Indeed, South African and other
manufacturers have frequently complained about the crushing competition from
Chinese textiles. Nor do we see China pushing for any meaningful breakthroughs in
climate negotiations that would favor African nations. More heavily publicized, Chinese
use of its veto in the U.N. Security Council to inhibit international action on Darfur has
made a mockery of Chinas supposedly neutral stance.

c. Current Situation and Present Relevance

As long as China is so willing to invest in Africa, we must not miss out on the bounty. But
we must engage with our eyes wide open.
Macharia Gaitho, managing editor, The Nation, Kenya.

Chinas engagement with Africa is largely driven by the following key

considerations: Firstly, China needs resources notably crude oil to power its
modern, growing economy and to support its expanding industrial base. The
rapid growth of its manufacturing sector has also created increased domestic
demand for natural resources including oil and gas, precious metals, aluminum,
copper and iron ore. These are natural resources that Africa has in abundance.
Secondly, Africas population is seen as a potential market for Chinese
products. While Chinese growth relies heavily on manufacturing sector, it needs
a new and dependable consumer market to sustain its steep developmental
trajectory.
Thirdly, African manufacturers and other industries had enjoyed many years of
monopoly and protection. African countries economic reform liberalized the
protected market and opened up the door to increased economic activities from
other players elsewhere. Many firms which had been shut out of the market are
now interested in the new markets, including Chinese firms.
Fourthly, the privatization of publicly owned enterprises in China is necessitated
with the need to scout for new investment opportunities outside China to
complete their transition from the state-owned enterprises. To do this, the
privatized enterprises needed to step up entry into international market such as
Africa.
Lastly by establishing its presence in Africa, China wants to project the image
of a global super-power. Moving out of its region, China wants to demonstrate
that it could also compete on the world stage with the United States and

countries in Europe. Of course, this reason seems to have gained currency

given the investment portfolio of Chinese state-owned and private firms across
Africa and elsewhere in the world. By implication the US has been forced to
recognize Chinas immense economic power and political influence in the
world.
d. Case Studies

The provided case studies examine the reasons and implications of Chinas
investment in Africa using solid data analysis. Chinas attention was initially focused
on a narrow subset of energy and commodity-rich economies. This is quickly
changing. As Chinas economic footprint on the continent grows, and its market
economy continues to deepen, the scope of its attentions and influence on the
continent is broadening. This, in turn, is challenging African governments and citizens
to work with Chinese investors to ensure that new projects contribute to economic
development in Africa and support livelihoods, environmental values and good
governance. The increasing power of Asian economies, and the potential costs and
opportunities for African countries calls for objective study and evaluation.

1. http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/652043.pdf: US and Chinese Economic

Engagement in Angola, Ghana and Kenya.
2. http://www.palgravejournals.com/ejdr/journal/v21/n4/full/ejdr200928a.html:
China-Africa
Trade Relations.
3. http://www.ccs.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/rf_paper_final.pdf:
Chinas engagement in Africa.
4. http://www.ide.go.jp/English/Data/Africa_file/Manualreport/pdf/china_all
.pdf: An overview of China in Africa.
5. http://dspace.africaportal.org/jspui/bitstream/123456789/32075/1/Tanz
ania-China.pdf?1: Chinese investment in Tanzania.
6. http://www.ippanigeria.org/china_africa_working.pdf: An Evaluation of
Chinese Investment in Africa.
7. http://dspace.africaportal.org/jspui/bitstream/123456789/32411/1/Ethio
pia-China_Eth_Invest_Fina.pdf?1: Chinese Investment in Ethiopia

e. Major Stakeholders and Their Positions

China has four overarching strategic interests in Africa. First, it wants access to
natural resources, particularly oil and gas. It is estimated that, by 2020, China
will import more oil worldwide than the United States. To guarantee future
supply, China is heavily investing in the oil sectors in countries such as Sudan,
Angola, and Nigeria.
Second, investments in Africa, a huge market for Chinese exported goods,
might facilitate China's efforts to restructure its own economy away from laborintensive industries, especially as labor costs in China increase.
Third, China wants political legitimacy. The Chinese government believes that
strengthening Sino-African relations helps raise China's own international
influence. Most African governments express support for Beijing's "One China"
policy, a prerequisite for attracting Chinese aid and investment.
Finally, China has sought a more constructive role as contributor to stability in
the region, partly to mitigate security-related threats to China's economic
interests.

African governments look to China to provide political recognition and legitimacy, as

well as to contribute to their economic development through aid, investment,
infrastructure development, and trade. To some degree, many African leaders hope
that China will interact with them in ways that the United States and other Western
governments do not by engaging economically without condescendingly preaching
about good governance, for example, or by investing in high-risk projects or in remote
regions that are not appealing to Western governments or companies. Some Africans
aspire to replicate China's rapid economic development and believe that their nations
can benefit from China's recent experience in lifting itself out of poverty.

f. Proposed Solutions
Many African leaders believe that as a
fellow developing country, China has more
altruistic
motives
than
Western
governments and corporations do.
Men wave Chinese and Senegalese flags as they
await the arrival of China's now ex President Hu
Jintao and his Senegalese counterpart in Dakar,
Senegal.

African leaders praise China's contributions

to their nations' infrastructure, highlighting visible improvements that contribute to
expanded economic activity, job creation for local workers, and tangible improvements
to roads, rails, bridges, and other transportation networks all things that benefit
ordinary citizens, if indirectly.
Some in Africa, however, are critical of Chinese engagement. Labor unions, civil
society groups, and other segments of African societies criticize Chinese enterprises
for poor labor conditions, unsustainable environmental practices, and job
displacement. Good-governance watchdogs warn that China negotiates unfair deals
that take advantage of African governments' relative weaknesses and that foster

corruption and wasteful decision making. In their view, China perpetuates a neocolonial relationship in which Africa exports raw materials to China in exchange for
manufactured goods. In some countries, resentment at Chinese business practices
has led to popular protests and violence against Chinese businessmen and migrants.

African countries could diversify their economies as much as possible away

from supplying unprocessed natural resources to China. This will make them
less dependent on the vagaries of both the Chinese economy and the ups and
downs of global commodity prices.
Trade with China may have helped insulate Africa from the full impact of the
2008 financial crisis, but Africa still looks vulnerable to Chinas economic
slowdown. Meanwhile, African nations should also prepare for the day when
they no longer have natural resources to sell. At the Africa Progress Panel,
there has been talk about transforming natural resource wealth into human
capital, by investing revenues into health and education.
African countries need to encourage Chinese investment into more labor
intensive sectors. Africas population is growing very fast, and job creation is a
top priority. If Africa cannot create jobs to keep up with the growth of its
workforce, then we can expect to see a large and growing population of
frustrated, jobless youth.
As Chinas relationship with Africa shifts from being essentially government-togovernment to business-to-business, some analysts see enormous potential in
the manufacturing industry, especially for clothing and textiles. Rising Chinese
wages in this sector may lead Chinese manufacturers to export jobs to African
countries where labor prices are lower. One example of how this might work is
Zambia, where around 300 Chinese companies now employ around 25,000
people. Ethiopias shoemaking sector has also benefitted from Chinese
investment that has created jobs and exports.
Despite the scale of investment, linkages between Chinese investment and
local economies remains weak. African countries could negotiate better terms
with Chinese investors, including quality control and better linkages with local
economies. African governments could urge China to improve market access
for African goods overseas, for example in trade area such as the World Trade
Organization. The IMF estimates the average import tariff faced by low-income
countries in Africa in the BRICS at 13 percent around three times the level in
the United States and the European Union (which also operate a range of nontariff barriers).
On quality, observers describe shoddy workmanship in a range of Chinese
investments from crumbling walls in a Chinese-built hospital in Angola,
enormous potholes in Ghanaian and Zambian roads, and a leaking roof in the
African Unions new $ 200 million headquarters opened in January. Fairly or
unfairly, many in Africa complain that Chinese projects do not employ enough
Africans or do enough to transfer skills and technology. The reality is that this
will vary from project to project. When a country is emerging from a decade or
two of civil war, its labor force may not have sufficient capacity to work on
technical projects.

When Africans are employed,

working
conditions
are
sometimes substandard. Human
Rights Watch reports dangerous
work conditions in Zambian
mines. Petty disputes at a
copper mine in Zambia led to two
Chinese managers shooting at
miners in 2010, and then, the
death of a Chinese manager in
2012.
Africa could keep working to
make itself as attractive a business environment as possible. Further regional
economic integration should be a priority. Africas population will one day represent
the worlds largest consumer market. If they can get increased market access by
investing in a single country, Chinese businesses will want to invest much more.
Analysts see more Chinese businesses coming to Africa, meaning that the AfricaChina relationship is diversifying away from simply government-to-government
relationships. This makes it harder to characterize the relationship as either good or
bad. However we view it, Chinas growing presence in Africa presents enormous
opportunity.

g. Questions a resolution must answer

What should the extent of Chinas presence in Africa be?

Schemes to benefit both parties must be formulated.
What measures should be taken to protect Africa from being exploited
by China in any way? (For example, becoming a dumping ground for
Chinese goods).

Position Paper Requirements

Delegates should submit position papers detailing their countrys stance on both of the
issues on the agenda. A guideline would be half an A4 side per issue (thus each
Delegate submits a position paper approximately one A4 page long). Please use
normal formatting for formal documents Arial, font size 12, justified and clear
headings.
Position papers should include both an explanation of your countrys standpoint on
each issue as well as possible solutions for the issues in line with your countrys policy.
Delegates may find these guides on UNUSA.org and BestDelegate.com useful in
writing their position paper:
All position papers will be reviewed by the Chairs and published online before the
conference to aid Delegates in identifying potential allies and opponents during the
research and brainstorming solutions.

Works cited: Topic 1

The African Union
"AU in a Nutshell." AU.int. The African Union Commission. Web. 15 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.au.int/en/about/nutshell>.
"Constitutive Act of the African Union." AU.int. The African Union, 11 July 2000.
Web. 15 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.au.int/en/sites/default/files/ConstitutiveAct_EN.pdf>.
"Sirte Declaration." AU2002.gov.za. Government of South Africa, 9 Sept. 1999. Web.
15 Dec. 2014. <http://www.au2002.gov.za/docs/key_oau/sirte.pdf>.

Containment and Eradication of Ebola

AFP. "Liberia Health Workers Strike over Ebola 'danger Money'" The Telegraph.
Telegraph Media Group, 13 Oct. 2014. Web. 14 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/ebola/11159217/Liberia-healthworkers-strike-over-Ebola-danger-money.html>.
"Ebola: Overview, History, Origins and Transmission." GOV.UK. Government of the
United Kingdom, 27 Oct. 2014. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.
<https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ebola-origins-reservoirstransmission-and-guidelines/ebola-origins-reservoirs-transmission-guidelines>.
"Ebola Response Roadmap - Situation Report." WHO.int. World Health
Organization, 10 Dec. 2014. Web. 12 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.who.int/csr/disease/ebola/situation-reports/en/>.
"Ebola Response Roadmap." WHO.int. World Health Organization, 28 Aug. 2014.
Web. 13 Dec. 2014.
<http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/131596/1/EbolaResponseRoadmap.p
df?ua=1>.
"Ebola The Enemy At Your Door." AllAfrica.com 2 Aug. 2014, NEWS: NewsBank.
Web. 14 Dec. 2014.
"Ebola Virus Disease." WHO.int. World Health Organisation, Sept. 2014. Web. 29
Nov. 2014. <http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/>.
Gallagher, James. "Ebola Response Lethally Inadequate, Says MSF." BBC News.
British Broadcasting Corporation, 2 Sept. 2014. Web. 13 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.bbc.com/news/health-29031987>.
Grady, Denise, and Sheri Fink. "Tracing Ebolas Breakout to an African 2-YearOld." NYTimes.com. The New York Times, 09 Aug. 2014. Web. 21 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/10/world/africa/tracing-ebolas-breakout-toan-african-2-year-old.html?_r=0>.
"Hunger Strike in Ebola-hit Guinea." BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation,
11 Nov. 2014. Web. 14 Dec. 2014. <http://www.bbc.com/news/health30004362>.

"I Caught Ebola in Guinea and Survived." BBC News. British Broadcasting
Corporation, 24 Apr. 2014. Web. 14 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27112397>.
Mackay, Ian, Heather Lander, and Katherine Arden. "How Ebola Started, Spread
and Spiralled out of Control." TheConversation.com. The Conversation Media
Group, 25 Sept. 2014. Web. 13 Dec. 2014. <http://theconversation.com/howebola-started-spread-and-spiralled-out-of-control-32137>.
News, CBC. "Ebola Bodies Dumped at Sierra Leone Hospital by Protesting Burial
Workers." CBCNews. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 25 Nov. 2014.
Web. 14 Dec. 2014. <http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ebola-bodies-dumped-atsierra-leone-hospital-by-protesting-burial-workers-1.2848900>.
Rettner, Rachael. "Ebola Airport Screening Prevents 3 Cases Per Month from
Traveling." LiveScience.com. Purch, 20 Oct. 2014. Web. 13 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.livescience.com/48363-ebola-cases-air-travel.html>.
Snyder, Derick, and Jow Bavier. "Empty Ebola Beds In Liberia Pose Riddle For
Health Care Workers." HuffingtonPost.com. The Huffington Post, 7 Nov. 2014.
Web. 12 Dec. 2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/07/liberia-ebolaempty-beds_n_6121680.html?utm_hp_ref=healthyliving&ir=Healthy%2BLiving>.
"Strike Complicates Sierra Leone Ebola Battle." AlJazeera.com. Al Jazeera Media
Network, 13 Nov. 2014. Web. 14 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/11/strike-complicates-sierraleone-ebola-battle-201411136255502147.html>.
"UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER)." UN Global Ebola
Response. United Nations, n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.un.org/ebolaresponse/mission.shtml>.
Von Drehle, David, and Aryn Baker. "Person of the Year: The Ebola
Fighters." Time.com. Time, 10 Dec. 2014. Web. 12 Dec. 2014.
<http://time.com/time-person-of-the-year-ebola-fighters/>.
Von Drehle, David, and Aryn Baker. "The Ones Who Answered the Call." Time 22
Dec. 2014: 32-65. Print.
"WHO Says Ebola Outbreak Is Out of Control." AlJazeera.com. Al Jazeera Media
Network, 13 Dec. 2014. Web. 14 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/08/who-ebola-out-control20148113582852795.html>.
"World Health Organization: Heal Thyself." Economist.com. The Economist
Newspaper, 13 Dec. 2014. Web. 13 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21636039-ailing-international-healthauthority-needs-stronger-organisation-heal-thyself>.

Works cited: Topic 2

http://ee.china-embassy.org/eng/zggk/xzgwjjs/t110300.htm
http://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21613162-mass-immigrationchinese-people-africa-almost-entirely-driven-money

http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/ce/ceza/eng/zghfz/zfgx/t165324.htm
https://sites.google.com/site/chinapolicyinfocus/china-s-return-to-africa/the-historyof-sino-africa-relations
http://www.chinaafricarealstory.com/
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/international/214270-american-and-chinesetrade-with-africa-rhetoric-vs-reality
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/05/obama-africa-leaders-us-chinainvestment-summit
http://www.ippanigeria.org/china_africa_working.pdf
http://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/january-2013/china-heart-africa

Appendix I
Source: Constitutive Act of the African Union
http://www.au.int/en/sites/default/files/ConstitutiveAct_EN.pdf

Article 3
Objectives
The objectives of the Union shall be to:
(a) achieve greater unity and solidarity between the African countries and the
peoples of Africa;
(b) defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its Member
States;
(c) accelerate the political and socio-economic integration of the continent;
(d) promote and defend African common positions on issues of interest to the
continent and its peoples;
(e) encourage international cooperation, taking due account of the Charter of the
United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
(f) promote peace, security, and stability on the continent;
(g) promote democratic principles and institutions, popular participation and good
governance;
(h) promote and protect human and peoples' rights in accordance with the African
Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and other relevant human rights instruments;
(i) establish the necessary conditions which enable the continent to play its rightful
role in the global economy and in international negotiations;
(j) promote sustainable development at the economic, social and cultural levels as
well as the integration of African economies;
(k) promote co-operation in all fields of human activity to raise the living standards of
African peoples;
(l) coordinate and harmonize the policies between the existing and future Regional
Economic Communities for the gradual attainment of the objectives of the Union;
(m) advance the development of the continent by promoting research in all fields, in
particular in science and technology;
(n) work with relevant international partners in the eradication of preventable
diseases and the promotion of good health on the continent.

Article 4
Principles
The Union shall function in accordance with the following principles:
(a) sovereign equality and interdependence among Member States of the Union;
(b) respect of borders existing on achievement of independence;
(c) participation of the African peoples in the activities of the Union;
(d) establishment of a common defence policy for the African Continent;
(e) peaceful resolution of conflicts among Member States of the Union through such
appropriate means as may be decided upon by the Assembly;
(f) prohibition of the use of force or threat to use force among Member States of the
Union;
(g) non-interference by any Member State in the internal affairs of another;

(h) the right of the Union to intervene in a Member State pursuant to a decision of the
Assembly in respect of grave circumstances, namely: war crimes, genocide and
crimes against humanity;
(i) peaceful co-existence of Member States and their right to live in peace and
security;
(j) the right of Member States to request intervention from the Union in order to
restore peace and security;
(k) promotion of self-reliance within the framework of the Union;
(l) promotion of gender equality;
(m) respect for democratic principles, human rights, the rule of law and good
governance;
(n) promotion of social justice to ensure balanced economic development;
(o) respect for the sanctity of human life, condemnation and rejection of impunity and
political assassination, acts of terrorism and subversive activities;
(p) condemnation and rejection of unconstitutional changes of governments.

Appendix II
Source: WHO Factsheet: Ebola virus disease
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/
Transmission
It is thought that fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are natural Ebola virus hosts.
Ebola is introduced into the human population through close contact with the blood,
secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals such as chimpanzees,
gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelope and porcupines found ill or dead or in the
rainforest.
Ebola then spreads through human-to-human transmission via direct contact (through
broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily
fluids of infected people, and with surfaces and materials (e.g. bedding, clothing)
contaminated with these fluids.
Health-care workers have frequently been infected while treating patients with
suspected or confirmed EVD. This has occurred through close contact with patients
when infection control precautions are not strictly practiced.
Burial ceremonies in which mourners have direct contact with the body of the
deceased person can also play a role in the transmission of Ebola.
People remain infectious as long as their blood and body fluids, including semen and
breast milk, contain the virus. Men who have recovered from the disease can still
transmit the virus through their semen for up to 7 weeks after recovery from illness.
Symptoms
The incubation period, that is, the time interval from infection with the virus to onset of
symptoms is 2 to 21 days. Humans are not infectious until they develop symptoms.
First symptoms are the sudden onset of fever fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore
throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, symptoms of impaired kidney and
liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding (e.g. oozing from
the gums, blood in the stools). Laboratory findings include low white blood cell and
platelet counts and elevated liver enzymes.

Diagnosis
It can be difficult to distinguish EVD from other infectious diseases such as malaria,
typhoid fever and meningitis. Confirmation that symptoms are caused by Ebola virus
infection are made using the following investigations:
[...]
Samples from patients are an extreme biohazard risk; laboratory testing on noninactivated samples should be conducted under maximum biological containment
conditions.

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